


return to me, love

by MsMaarvel



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Canon Divergent, M/M, True Love's Kiss, caleb is a disaster
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-23
Updated: 2018-01-23
Packaged: 2019-03-08 12:15:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13458057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsMaarvel/pseuds/MsMaarvel
Summary: A strong enemy puts Fjord in a paralyzed trance-like state and our resident wizard is on the search for just the right cure.





	return to me, love

**Author's Note:**

> apologies, im fairly new to Critical Role and i just started with this new campaign so there may be things i dont know!  
> i took a lot of liberties with this due to how early we are in the campaign and the fact that im honestly making up some of this magic just to fit plot. it is fanfiction after all, so im gonna have some fun freeform work with it.  
> the rating is only T for swearing, and there's not even much of that, so if you're worried about graphic stuff, don't be

It happened in the blink of an eye.

There was nothing he could have done.

It felt like there had to have been _something_ he could have done.

 

With a heavy thud, Fjord slams to the ground. Paralyzed? Unconscious? Dead? Hard to know.

Caleb, startled by the noise, looks from the mind flayer the party is battling to see Fjord’s slumped, still form. Stutter-stepping, he looks between his enemy and his ally and makes a decision. He couldn’t help here. Healing is Jester’s strong suit. She could handle it and handle it well, his time was better spent working to defeat the mind slayer so that nobody else gets the same fate.

 

“Jester!” a hoarse shout escapes his lips as he glances toward his clerical companion. “Fjord needs some help over here, quick.” he refocuses on the task at hand once he’s gotten Jester’s attention and starts hastily flipping through his spellbook to find something to combat the awful creature before him. Thankfully, it was battered and worn down, so they had to be nearly through the battle.

 

He casts fireball, bringing the mind flayer to its knees. Caleb can’t help but feel a smug satisfaction seeing their enemy fall after such a long, hard-fought battle. Beauregard races past to release a flurry of blows that bring an end to the battle and lets out a whoop and a “Hell yeah!” but Caleb has already refocused on Fjord’s limp figure and Jester crouched next to him busying her hands at his side.

 

Shuffling over to them as quickly as his battle wounds can allow, Caleb sees that Fjord is still not in any better shape than when he fell. From here at least, Caleb could tell he was breathing.

“Nothing’s working!” Jester exclaimed when Caleb crouched to inspect Fjord. “I’m trying all my spells and healing and I know what I’m doing and I know there’s magic power in my actions but nothings happening! I think it’s something else.”

 

“Something else.” Caleb whispers absentmindedly, mind already racing a mile a minute. “Some- something else. Something else.” he started repeating those words in a nervous tick, and thumbing through his book.

 

Unable to find anything of use, he returns the book to his jacket pocket. “I think- I think it’s best to get him to an inn. Best for us all. We need rest and I need research. I think I know what this may be. I might be able to counter it if given time.” He worriedly shoots Fjord’s form a glance, “If we have time.”

 

Yasha tosses Fjord over her shoulder, not quite as effortlessly as the times she’s done it to Beauregard, but she manages to tote him the short distance to their next destination.

An inn wasn’t too hard to find, but the looks the group got entering with an unconscious half orc being carried like a sack of potatoes didn’t help in the slightest.

 

They managed to book three rooms despite stares, whispers, and a skeptical look from the innkeeper. Yasha, Beau and Jester were to share a room, Molly and Fjord in another, and Nott and Caleb to the last. The group initially gravitated toward Fjord’s room out of worry and with the intention of helping however they could, but Mollymauk waves his hands widely in protest.

 

“No, no, no! Give him some space! I’ll watch over him and keep everyone updated on the situation. Caleb has research to do and we don’t want to crowd the poor man do we?” He makes a shooing motion again, intent on herding the others away from the half-orc lying worryingly still on the bed. Caleb can’t help but feel jealous of Molly despite the grave situation they were in.

 

“Permit me this.” Caleb speaks up before he’s ushered completely out of the room like the rest of the group has been. With a snap, mostly for dramatics, he summons Frumpkin, who sits dutifully at the end of the bed, careful not to touch Fjord and cause any allergic reaction to his already prone form. “For peace of mind.” He explains, to which Molly dips his head in acknowledgement and turns away to sit at the desk.

 

“Hurry on your merry way, Caleb. I’d like to see him get out of this, you know.” With that goodbye, Caleb closes the door and makes his way down the stairs of the inn and past the table of his friends who wave and wish him luck in finding the cure.

 

As he exits the inn he feels a familiar tug on his sleeve. Looking down at Nott, who easily keeps up to his hurried pace, he asks “Did you want to help?”

 

“If… I want to help if I can. I don't know what exactly I can do to help but if i can nick a book or two off a shelf for you that can help him, I'll do it. I don't want to lose him I don't want to lose our party or anybody at all really, they’ve become so close to us and it’s so good to ha-” Caleb ceases her rambling by bonking her on the head. Not enough to hurt, but certainly enough to distract her from her words.

 

“It’s going to be fine.” he lies through his teeth. Uncertainty must have radiated off of him, judging by Nott’s expression she didn’t believe him for a second.

 

“It’d be easier to believe if you weren’t such a terrible liar.”

 

“Perceptive little bugger aren’t you?” Caleb pushes open the door to the first store he finds, a short ways down from the inn. Whispering, he says “Look for anything that might have information on mind flayers or psychic spells. If you find anything interesting nick it or let me know, I’ll pay anything to cure Fjord.”

 

“I know that.” Nott laughs and scurries off, leaving Caleb unable to ask what she means by that.

 

It couldn’t be that obvious could it? Unless he’s overthinking and Nott simply thinks Caleb considers Fjord an ally and not something potentially more. Shaking his head to get the overthinking out of the way, Caleb cracks his knuckles and begins perusing the shelves.

 

He finds a few promising books that he brings to the counter and pays a hefty price for, but the emptiness in his wallet will only worry him if there turns out to be no useful information hidden within these tomes.

 

* * *

 

Poring over the books for hours and taking heavy notes back in his inn room with Nott pacing and drinking and talking up a storm, Caleb is finding it hard to focus. He’s been in and out of Fjord’s room countless times throughout the afternoon, trying different rituals and spells to try and cure whatever was going on. Nothing has been working. Caleb only has one left to try, but he’s been putting it off in favor of deeper research. It just didn't’ seem reasonable to be the remaining spell, but he supposes he’ll have to give it a shot sooner rather than later. Nott’s pacing is getting rather distracting, though.

 

“Nott, d’ya think it’s about time for dinner? Why not go see if the others want to join you downstairs for a meal and a bit of a distraction. Teach them a trick or two. Just like i showed you.”

 

“What about you Caleb? Aren’t you hungry?” Nott worries.

 

“Not right now.” He sighs. “I feel like I’m so close but so far and the answer just has to be somewhere in here. I’ll eat after I’ve found something that matches the symptoms.”

 

Nott nods. “A-Alright. I’ll bring ya back somethin’ nice.”

 

As she leaves the room, Caleb lets his face hit the desk. “Fucking true love’s kiss.” he mumbles into the wood. “Add insult to injury why don’t we.”

 

Gathering his notes, he makes his way to Mollymauk and Fjord’s room. He hesitantly stands outside, too timid to knock just yet, and momentarily takes control of Frumpkin to see if Molly was still inside. He was. Letting his fist fall on the door in two quick knocks, a lofty “Come in.” is heard from the other side.

 

Once Caleb opens the door and enters, Molly stands. “You look fucking awful.” the man doesn’t mince words, at least he’s consistent.

 

“I haven’t exactly had time to rest.” Caleb points out. “Ah, uh, I needed to speak with you about something though. Regarding Fjord’s condition, that is.”

 

Molly inclines his head. “Go on.”

 

“You see. I’ve tried everything else I can find for today and there’s only one more possible spell from the tomes I’ve gathered. The only other solution for now probably won’t work, but it’s worth a shot I think.” Caleb finds it hard to make eye contact as he says the next line. “It’s a kiss from the one he holds affection for who reciprocates those feelings. True love, more or less.”

 

“And?” Molly deadpans.

 

“And what? I don’t mean to pry but you’re interested aren’t you?” Caleb replies quickly. “I can give you privacy if you’d like but I really think you should try in case it does end up worki-”

 

Molly interjects swiftly “Caleb.” stepping closer and grasping Caleb’s hand in his own he waits until Caleb’s face lifts and their eyes meet. “I’m a flirt, I know. It’s not like that at all though, really. You may want to give it a shot though, I’ve seen how you look at him.” Molly winks and saunters out of the room, letting out a quick “I’ll give you two some privacy.”

 

Leaving Caleb alone with Fjord and one possibility for recovery causes him to break out in a sweat. “Cool. Nice. Great. Fine.” On one hand he’s relieved he’s been misunderstanding Molly’s friendly flirting as interest, but on the other hand he has a task to do that should be done quick for Fjord’s wellbeing, but it’s not something Caleb can bring himself to do easily.

 

Gathering up the nerve, he sits on the edge of Fjord’s bed and leans over. “Please, return to me, love.” he pleads quietly, hoping against hope that this will actually work and it will mean what he hopes it means. Gently kissing the half-orc, he sits back up quickly.

 

Eyes blinking open in confusion, Fjord sees none other than Caleb Widogast sitting beside him.

 

“What happened?” he speaks up hesitantly, pulling himself into a comfortable sitting position. He felt sore and stiff. His question received no response other than a rush of air from a held breath and a subsequent embrace, possibly the tightest embrace of his life.

 

“You’re okay!” Caleb joyously proclaims. Realizing exactly what he was doing, he awkwardly releases his embrace and stands. “Sorry, I mean, well, uh, what happened was-” he stops himself and takes a step backward. His retreat is stopped when a calloused hand reaches out to his from the bed.

 

“You don’t need to apologize. You felt it too right?” Fjord sure wasn’t speaking specifics, but Caleb knew exactly what he meant. Returning to the others side, Caleb starts to explain the spell. “Mind flayers are very good at psychic magic you see, so I’ve been spending the day researching counters to possible spells and it turns out the one that affected you was a true love spell of sorts. Sleeping beauty type thing, if you believe those tales.”

 

“I must admit, I do now.” Fjord chuckles, holding Caleb close.

 

**Author's Note:**

> i had a lot of ideas i wanted to see into this and ive been reading a lot of fics where caleb gets hurt and i wanted to turn the tables a bit and see how it might be if something happened to fjord!  
> i hope you enjoyed this read, if you'd like you can find me on tumblr at [staarplatinum](http://staarplatinum.tumblr.com/) and we can cry about this new campaign together!  
> feel free to leave a comment, it would mean the world to me to know what you thought and what i can improve on!


End file.
